In commonly known jack screw actuated or hydraulic ram actuated equipment leveling systems, a plurality of vertically telescoping feet or pedestals are provided for supporting and leveling the equipment. Such telescoping pedestals are typically operated independently from each other, undesirably complicating the task of utilizing the system for leveling the supported equipment.
In an example of such difficulties, an operator of such commonly known equipment leveling system may find that a corner of an item of precision equipment to be leveled (such as a multi-axis milling machine) is excessively low. In the event that a jack screw actuated telescoping pedestal is provided at that low corner, the operator may operate such pedestal's jack screw to raise the equipment's low corner. In doing so, the operator often undesirably lifts the equipment's support chassis away from other support pedestals, or undesirably skews the chassis by altering supporting pressures at the other pedestals. Accordingly, individual and independent operation and actuation of one telescoping pedestal often undesirably requires adjustment and readjustment of other telescoping support pedestals. Also, in such common system, the gross elevation of the equipment item is often desirably changed. In such common system, it is often difficult and time consuming to sequentially operate each of the system's pedestals to alter the equipment's gross elevation while preserving an earlier established orientation with respect to the horizontal plane. Adjustment of the gross elevation of the equipment often must be followed by further reorienting readjustments.
The instant invention solves or ameliorates problems discussed above by providing a hydraulic fluid actuated equipment leveling assembly which cross communicates hydraulic fluid pressure and flow between hydraulic ram actuated telescoping pedestals, such communication eliminating the need for individually manually operating each pedestal. The instant inventive assembly further provides for centralized micro-adjustments of individual telescoping pedestals following a fluid cross communicating pedestal operating step. The instant inventive assembly further provides for precision simultaneous raising and lowering of pedestals among the assembly for adjusting the gross elevation of supported equipment while preserving a previously established micro-adjusted orientation of the equipment in relation to the horizontal plane.